Stay Tuned: A final battle for the Iron Throne on ‘Game of Thrones’

Tuesday

Apr 9, 2019 at 9:19 AMApr 9, 2019 at 9:19 AM

Fake news gets an origin story and scientists try to snap a picture of a black hole but really, this week’s viewing belongs to “Game of Thrones.”

Dispatches: Weekly TV newsIn a statement released on Monday, Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”) said she intends to plead guilty to the charge brought against her by the United States Attorney’s Office in the nationwide college admissions scandal.

Allison Mack (“Smallville”) pleaded guilty to charges she manipulated women into becoming sex slaves for the leader of a supposed self-help group called NXIVM. The plea allows her to avoid going to trial with the group’s leader, Keith Raniere. Her sentencing is set for Sept. 11.

“The Walking Dead” show universe is getting bigger. AMC has picked up a third series of zombie mayhem with a 10-episode order. The untitled drama will be co-created by former “Walking Dead” showrunner Scott Gimple and series writer Matt Negrete. Production will start in the summer for a 2020 premiere.

ABC announced that actor and comedian Joel McHale will host its revival of game show “Card Sharks.” The show is set to air this summer.

Contenders: Shows to keep on your radarTurns out that Joseph Pulitzer was as concerned about “fake news” as President Donald Trump. “American Masters - Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People” (April 12, PBS, 9 p.m. ET) reports that the man behind the prestigious journalism prize used the term in 1902. The documentary explores Pulitzer’s life and work through archival footage, reenactments and interviews. A Hungarian immigrant, he was a skilled journalist and a successful publisher who was famous in his own day for his critical and outspoken editorial voice. Adam Driver narrates with Liev Schreiber as the voice of Pulitzer.

Follow a team of international scientists as they try to capture the first image of a black hole on “Black Hole Hunters” (April 12, Smithsonian Channel, 9 p.m. ET). While the concept of black holes is accepted fact, there has never been visual evidence of their existence. The Event Horizon Telescope team hopes to change this and if they do, it will be one of the most important astrophysical achievements of all time.

The final six episodes of “Game of Thrones” premiere April 14 at 9 p.m. ET. With control of the Iron Throne at stake and the Night King knocking on the door of Westeros, the stage is set for a thrilling end to HBO’s most popular show ever.

New single-camera comedy “Bless This Mess” (April 16, ABC, 9:30 p.m. ET) takes on the fish out of water scenario through newlyweds Rio (Lake Bell) and Mike (Dax Shepard) who move from New York City to become farmers in rural Nebraska.

Report Card: A look at ratings winners and losersWinners: Hours after its second season premiere, BBC America renewed “Killing Eve” for a third season.

Losers: The upcoming fourth season of “Preacher” (AMC) will be its last.Melissa Crawley is the author of “Mr. Sorkin Goes to Washington: Shaping the President on Television’s ‘The West Wing.’” She has a Ph.D. in media studies and is a member of the Television Critics Association. To comment on Stay Tuned, email her at staytuned@outlook.com or follow her on Twitter at @mcstaytuned.